The present invention relates to a ball bearing consisting of an outer sleeve with races extending axially in the bore, a cage with a plurality of ball guides distributed over the periphery and formed by axially extending guide races for the loaded and unloaded balls, respectively, and by semicircular reversing races interconnecting the guide races in pairs, and with endless rows of balls disposed in these ball guides. The bore of the outer sleeve is provided with axially extending races and return races for the balls, these races having a width corresponding approximately to the width of the axially extending guide-race sections in the cage. The cage is made of plastic and projects with the semicircular reversing races beyond the outer sleeve, and end rings made of plastic, for example, are set onto the projecting sections of the cage to cover the reversing zone. In this reversing zone the reversing races in the cage have a bottom part extending convexly in the peripheral direction and each of the end rings is provided with a convex depression situated radially over the reversing races, the convexity of the bottom of the reversing races in the cage having a radius of curvature whose center, together with the center of the radius of curvature of the cross section of the respective depression of the end ring, lies on a common center-point axis extending parallel to the axis of the bearing, in accordance with U.S. patent application Ser. No. 884,190 filed Mar. 18, 1977 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,121.
The object of the present invention is to provide a ball bearing that is an improvement over the relevant prior art. The components of the new bearing can be produced more simply and more economically and assembled more easily, and are less subject to wear particularly in the reversing zones than corresponding parts in the prior art. Also the new bearing is quieter in operation and more resilient at the ends with respect to shaft deflections.
The invention of the above-noted application having Ser. No. 884,190 has as an object to make possible improved, more economical manufacture, however this bearing has a particularly small overall radial height. If we reduce considerably radial dimensions of the end rings in this prior design, then the wall at the vertex of the reversing zone becomes so thin that it can easily break out. Such breaking out between the balls will impede the smooth operation of the bearing. Similarly, when the wall thickness of the cage is reduced, there is the danger that the island portions, which in the vicinity of the reversing races are joined in one piece to the lateral sections of the cage, may break off.
It is the object of the present invention to improve the subject matter of the above-noted prior art in such a way, that the overall radial height can be reduced without deleterious consequences. Moreover, it is sought to make the subject bearing relatively rugged and insensitive to high loads and stresses in operation.